This week, the European Centre for Law and Justice, the International affiliate of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) made a submission defending Israel to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) 'International Fact-Finding Mission on Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory'.

The ECLJ took advantage of their special consultative status to the UN to detail why in fact Israel is not an “occupying” force and that “Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights are fully consistent with Israel’s rights in international law.”

Their submission reminded the UNHRC that the UN never established the pre-1967 armistice lines as the permanent boundaries of the Israeli state.

Further, the UN resolution enacted after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war required “secure … boundaries” for Israel, which was, as the submission notes, “something that did not exist prior to 1967 as evidenced by the persistent attacks mounted against Israel from Arab-controlled territory and would not exist today if the status quo ante were reinstated.”

The presumption in the Mission’s mandate that Israel is “occupying” territory that belongs to Arab Palestinians is simply incorrect historically, factually, and legally.The ECLJ concluded: “The presumption in the Mission’s mandate that Israel is “occupying” territory that belongs to Arab Palestinians is simply incorrect historically, factually, and legally. The mandate for Palestine, an internationally-adopted and -sanctioned document enshrining the right of Jews to settle throughout Palestine, constituted a sacred trust and continues to exist. Further, Security Council Resolution 242 and its progeny clearly envisaged that Israel would have to acquire additional territory to attain defensible borders. As such, Israeli settlements in Mandate territory are lawful under international law. The ultimate territorial solution must come via bilateral negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders."

"Further, because the Golan Heights were acquired through defensive war against serial aggressor Syria, Israel’s retaining such territory is compatible with both the letter and spirit of international law. As such, Israeli communities are also lawful.”

The Foreign Ministry has undertaken a smart Public Relations campaign to heighten awareness about the rights of Jewish refugees. It’s a smart political move – and one which has been raised previously.

It’s not a new issue – Reviewing the words of Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1977: “In 1948 on the eve of our independence, five Arab armies invaded us. We defeated them at great human cost. As a result of that aggression, not one but two refugee problems arose – Jewish as well as Arab. An almost equal number of Jews fled to Israel from Arab and Muslim lands, as did Arabs from here to Arab lands. Hence, a de facto exchange of populations has already taken place.”

A post script:

As an American Jewish entrepreneur, am very concerned about the future of this great country.

How can American Jews have voted in such numbers for Obama after all that he has done and said about the Jewish state?

As an entrepreneur who was never handed anything how can I believe that this country is headed in the right direction when America voted for handouts?

(The CEO of 5WPR, Ronn Torossian is a New York based regular-contributor to media.)